Nordic water cooperation celebrated on World Water Day 2016
Press release 50/2016
18 March 2016
Tuesday, 22 March marks the annual UN World Water Day. World Water Day will be celebrated at the House of the Estates (Snellmaninkatu 9–11) in Helsinki by a wider and more international event than before. The seminars belong to the programme of the Finnish Presidency of the Council of Ministers, whose one main theme is water.
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä will open the first seminar at 9.15 through a video message.
The opening address will be followed by a panel discussion held at ministerial level. The panelists will discuss the Nordic water cooperation and how the goal on water and sanitation of Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN Member States, materialises in each of the Nordic countries. The panelists will be Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin and Norway's Minister for Nordic Co-operation Elisabeth Aspaker. Denmark and Iceland will be represented by Ambassadors Jette Nordam and Krístin Adalbjörg Árnadóttir. Deputy Premier of the Åland Government Camilla Gunell will comment on the discussion.
In the afternoon starting at 13.30, the Finnish Water Forum and the Water Association of Finland will hold a seminar focusing on the World Water Day theme Water and Jobs: Where Blue Growth Comes From? Professor Riku Vahala from Aalto University will open the afternoon seminar. Federico Properzi, Chief Technical Adviser at UN Water, will discuss the findings of the Water & Jobs Report, which will be published on the same day by UN Water. The report focuses on the importance of water for different branches of the economy and for economy in general.
In the afternoon, presentations will be held on blue bioeconomy, water services in the Nordic countries, and water sector growth. The Water Association’s prize for literature will also be announced in the afternoon.
The Finnish Water Forum is responsible for the practical arrangements related to the seminar.
Inquiries: Kari Kahiluoto, Chief of the Secreteriat for Nordic Co-operation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, tel. + 358 295 351 556
Markus Tuukkanen, Managing Director, Finnish Water Forum, tel. +358 40 865 3175